Embarcadero Technologies today announced the availability of ER/Studio XE, database design and data modeling tool suite. This latest version offers improvements in the user experience, enhanced scalability and performance, and expanded database management system (DBMS) support for Netezza's TwinFin appliance.

"We have seen a lot of growth with Netezza within our customer base," Jason Tiret, director of modeling and design solutions for Embarcadero, tells 5 Minute Briefing. By adding support for Netezza 5.0 and 4.6, customers can leverage ER/Studio XE to more quickly design, understand and maintain their data warehouse architectures. Increasingly, Embarcadero says, its customers are relying on business analytics to make sound business decisions, and are turning to Netezza for its state-of-the-art data warehouse appliances. "We have worked closely with their development to support the platform, and obviously, our customers are going to benefit from that," notes Tiret.

Embarcadero's ER/Studio XE now offers the most collaborative way for data management professionals to build and maintain enterprise-scale databases and data warehouses. Built-in facilities automate routine modeling tasks so users can analyze and optimize databases and data warehouse structures faster and easier.

Additionally, with an improved and more scalable server-side repository for model management, ER/Studio XE introduces the most productive way to share, document and publish models and metadata to distributed teams.

"We are getting a lot more worldwide global accounts that are adopting the product with many, many modelers - tens, hundreds of modelers - and making sure they are as productive as possible is critical," Tiret observes. Enhancing the scalability and the ability for concurrent operations to happen at one time and as fast as possible was one of the main points of this release.

In addition, with this release, Embarcadero has enhanced the logical and physical mapping systems in ER/Studio XE, called "where used" technology, notes Tiret. "It provides impact analysis of where a certain object lives across your model and it has been a vital part of the product for long time. We have enhanced that significantly so more information can be documented regarding those mappings."

Embarcadero XE branded products are distinguished by three key features: direct, native support for multiple DBMS platforms and deployment environments from a single interface; Embarcadero ToolCloud technology for centralized license management and on-demand tool access; and an easy upgrade path to Embarcadero All-Access XE. As with all Embarcadero tools, ER/Studio XE will be available via the Embarcadero All-Access toolbox. For complete product information, go here.